Mechanically separated meat and ground meat are typically used in a number of food processing and manufacturing systems. During processing, the meat is transported to various processing steps through pipes using pumps. The mechanically separated meat is viscous, thus, increased pumping pressures are required to maintain desirable flow rates. High pump pressures, i.e. greater than 200 psig, tend to cause excessive pump wear, rupturing of pump rotors, and increased maintenance. High pumping pressure may also activate pressure overload switches which result in a system shut down.
High pumping pressures may also diminish the quality of the mechanically separated meat. For example, when pumping at high pressures, temperatures may increase as much as 4° F. Further, higher pressures may result in higher oxidation rates in the meat and high shear rates may deteriorate emulsion stability in products made with this raw material.
The viscosity of mechanically separated and ground meats may be reduced through the addition of water. Water addition in amount sufficient to reduce viscosity to desired levels may result in product having unacceptably high levels of water in the finished product. Typical water additions may range from 0.5 to 3.0 gallons per minute with meat flow rates ranging from 400 to 1000 lbs./minute in a meat pumping system.